Robin Goodfellow’s Racing Tips: Best bets for Monday, September 21
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips for Monday's meetings at Hamilton, Leicester, Warwick and Wolverhampton.
Author: News
The Queen’s horse, Tactical, to have another go at a group one target at Newmarket
Tactical, the Queen's horse, landed the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and the July Stakes at Newmarket but a run on soft ground in the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville did not work out.
Juvenile Turf Next Goal For Nyquist’s Son Gretzky The Great Following Summer Stakes Score
Gretzky the Great netted his second added-money trophy in taking Sunday's Grade 1, $250,000 Summer Stakes, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series race, at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.
Trained by Mark Casse for owners Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the son of Nyquist bred by Anderson Farms Ontario survived an inquiry after coming in during mid-stretch against pacesetter and runner-up Ready to Repeat in the one-mile grass engagement for 2-year-olds.
It was Ready to Repeat, under Luis Contreras, who broke on top after briefly acting up in the starting gate. Trained by Gail Cox, who co-owns the Kentucky-bred gelding with John Menary, Michael Ambler and Windways Farm, the Victoria Stakes champ led his six rivals through an opening quarter-mile in :24.10 over an E.P. Taylor Turf Course listed as “firm.”
Gretzky the Great, with Kazushi Kimura in the irons, sat second, while Secret Potion was third, and American Monarch positioned in fourth.
Ready to Repeat was still comfortably in front by two lengths after a half in :47.82, as Kimura kept the leader in his sights. Secret Potion and American Monarch continued their tussle behind the front duo, as Dolder Grand began to close ground from sixth.
As the field rounded the turn for home, Kimura roused Gretzky the Great to engage Ready to Repeat, and the bay colt responded with an impressive outside surge, striking front and looking to put away a determined foe.
A half-length on top at the stretch call, Gretzky the Great went on to notch a 3 1/4-length win in a time of 1:34.53. Ready to Repeat finished one length in front of Dolder Grand for second, with American Monarch finishing fourth.
Heat of the Night, Secret Potion and Download rounded out the order of finish.
“He is such an amazing horse,” said Kimura, who recorded his first Grade 1 win. “When I came to the final turn then come through the final stretch, he had a tremendous explosion. He sometimes was a little bit lugging in, but he's just still a baby.”
The Summer represented the third consecutive winner's circle trip for Gretzky the Great.
After a second in his first career start on July 12, Gretzky the Great broke his maiden courtesy of a 4 1/4-length win on August 2. That was followed up by a neck nod in the Soaring Free Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on August 23.
“First time out it was only five furlongs on the (Woodbine Inner) turf, then when he won the first time I was like, 'Oh, that will be a stakes horse for the future,'” offered Kimura. “And then winning a stakes and now got a Grade 1, he's such a nice horse.”
The next goal on Gretzky the Great's stat sheet could be a date in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland on November 6.
“He's a so easy horse – I mean to control,” said Kimura. “If I want to do something, I can do anything.”
Gretzky the Great paid $6.80, $3.30 and $3. The 4-3 exactor with Ready to Repeat ($5, $4) returned $22.60. Dolder Grand ($4.10) finished off a 4-3-7 triactor worth $115.70, with American Monarch completing a $1 superfecta worth $220.70.
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This Time It Counts: Pirate’s Punch Proves Best In Salvator Mile
Pirate's Punch left no doubt about the outcome this time.
Disqualified from first for interference in the stretch in the Grade 3 Philip Iselin Stakes four weeks ago, Pirate's Punch drew away coming out of the final turn to win the $150,000 Grade 3 Salvator Mile by two lengths on Sunday at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.
Now it's onto the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Saturday, Nov. 7, for the half-brother to 2017 Haskell Invitational winner Girvin, according to trainer Grant Forster.
“The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is definitely our plan based on these last two races,” said the Kentucky-based Forster. “For us here in Kentucky it's a home game this year. He does have one race at Keeneland when he ran very well as he was just starting to improve last fall. I know the owners and I are on board.
“We were treating this as our `win and you're in.' He won it, so I guess we have to put our money where our mouth is and give a horse the chance to show what he can do on the national stage.”
The speedy 4-year-old son of Shanghai Bobby, who generally races on the lead, was kept off the early quick pace set by Prendimi and Wind of Change, with the duo taking the eight-horse field to an opening quarter of :22.69 and a first half in :45.80.
Entering the final turn, jockey Jorge Vargas, Jr. gave Pirate's Punch his cue, with the gelding sweeping three wide and immediately getting a jump on the field as he made the lead. Final time for the mile was 1:37.19.
Top Line Growth, the Laurel Park record holder for a mile, was able to get second, a head in front of Bal Harbour.
“I'm pleased they gave me another chance to ride this horse after the Iselin,” said Vargas. “I didn't feel what happened that day was all that bad but I still felt bad about it and apologized to the owners afterward. They told me I did everything right and rode a good race.
“Obviously today we wanted to be on the lead because that's the best way he has run before, but they went quick early on. I didn't panic. I just tried to keep him clean. I knew I was on the best horse in the race. After the three-eighths he just took off. I wasn't going to challenge that fast early speed. I know this is a good horse and he will get in gear.”
Now with a 5-3-4 line from 17 career starts, Pirate's Punch earned his first graded stakes win. He paid $6.60 to win as the favorite in the field.
“He really validated that last race,” said Forster. “I said before the race I was concerned about bringing him back this quickly with the travelling (from Kentucky), but every day he has been a 10 out there on the track for us and he gave us every reason to come back.
“The jockeys who have ridden him have always said he will rate. He has run some very good races from just off the pace, but of course this is the first time to get a win doing it that way with such a fast early pace being set. Credit to Jorge Vargas, Jr. He rode a brilliant race. He didn't panic being on the favorite. He knew what he had underneath him. The horse runs the turns very well and Vargas asked him around the turn and he responded as we know he can.”
Owned by Gulliver Racing LLC, Craig Drager and Dan Legan, Pirate's Punch boosted his career earnings to $332,751 with the $90,000 winner's share of the purse.
He also moved Vargas a step closer to what would be a career riding highlight.
“The Breeders' Cup is one of my dreams so I am hoping this horse goes now,” said Vargas. “To be able to ride him in the Breeders' Cup would be a dream come true.”
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